Roundup O’Linkage: Mobile Marketing + M&A + iPhone Rebate/Unlock + Union Strike in Vegas & Google Kills PowerPoint

• Motricity raising $175M, angling for InfoSpace unit in prepping for IPO – Triangle Business Journal:
  Wireless technology company Motricity is nearing a deal to buy InfoSpace’s mobile business – a move that could solidify the company’s chances of going public later this year.
  (tags: mobile marketing mottricity M&A ipo)
• Cell Phone Use Banned for Teen Drivers – Forbes.com
  A message from the state of California to its 16- and 17-year-olds: Dnt txt n drv – thx. A law signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday will require those teens to put down all cell phones and other electronic devices while driving.
  (tags: mobile texting sms driving laws regulation culture youth)
• Yahoo Makes Tiny Acquisition: BuzzTracker
  There are rumors that Yahoo may have acquired news site BuzzTracker, a tiny news aggregation site, for $5 million. Alan Warms, CEO of parent company Participate Media, will join Yahoo as Vice President and General Manager of Yahoo News
  (tags: buzz marketing trend watching coolhunting buzzmetrics buzzmonitor buzzmarketing)
• Mobile advertising prepares for takeoff | InfoWorld | News | 2007-09-11 | By Juan Carlos Perez, IDG News Service
  Mobile advertising spending is expected to grow at a rate greater than 100 percent, and the major players are maneuvering to capitalize on the emerging market. Spending is expected to total $33.2 million this year and grow at a compound annual rate of 112
  (tags: mobile marketing advertsing growth economics trend)
• Apple – iPhone – $100.00 Store Credit
  Since we bought 40 of these sucka’s for employees…this is welcome news: If you bought your iPhone before August 22, you may be eligible for an instant $100 electronic credit toward the purchase of products at the Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online S
  (tags: apple relationship brand mistake iphone credit)
• Yikes! A strike in Las Vegas is not good!
  This is bad news: On September 4, the union, along with its parent organization UNITE HERE, announced an $80-million strike fund to pay strike benefits, offer support benefits and cover logistical costs indefinitely.
  (tags: strike union labor employees branding lasvegas vegas)
• Google readies PowerPoint killer
  Yay! This is exciting: Called Presently, the slideshow program is likely to be based in part on code Google bought through the acquisitions of Zenter and Tonic Systems earlier this year.
  (tags: presentation google Presently prsenting PowerPoint slideshow)
• Sites offer software to unlock iPhone – RCR Wireless News
  Links to iPhone unlocks: “an individual who unlocks their locked phone for their own use is protected by exemptions to the federal Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Those who do so for profit may well be committing a crime”
  (tags: iPhone unlock unlocking cellphone hacks)